Module 1: Green Eggs and Ham

Seuss, Dr. 1960. Green Eggs and Ham. Beginner Books: New York. ISBN 0-394-80016-8.
PreS - Gr 2—The enduring story of Sam and his quest to encourage an unnamed main character to eat green eggs and ham has provided entertainment and reading comfort for over 45 years. Sam is a very determined character. He persistently asks another character to try green eggs and ham. He presents numerous scenarios and opportunities for this character to try the meal. This character shows tremendous determination in his resistance to all of Sam’s attempts. His annoyance at Sam’s perpetual insistence to try the eggs leads to him trying the eggs and ham. He then discovers that he loves them and is appreciative that Sam did not give up trying. This is an excellent story to use to teach children about determination and persistence.
The simple text uses only single syllable words, with the exception of the word anywhere. The entire text rhymes and repeats. Every two lines of text rhyme and the story builds on itself, not in a box/not with a fox/ not in a house/not with a mouse. Young readers will build confidence as they read a book of this nature.
The illustrations are simple and nonsensical. Many of the scenes almost seem dreamlike. The grass is red or the trees are blue. All of the main characters in this story do not represent humans. They have human facial features but seem to resemble dogs, or a cross between humans and dogs. The illustrations use the three primary colors almost exclusively; however, several of the objects are a lightened shade of red. These simple color choices help the green eggs and ham to really spring off the page. This story and the illustrations are simple, but its meaning and presence will last a lifetime.